Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

What do you do when your humi gets that "not so fresh feeling"?
:D.


Thanks for posting this, this is a great place to ask the beginner questions this site has so much knowledge it is kind of scary!:bs


Jason

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

ROFLMAO!

I thought it might be a good place consolidate commonly asked questions instead of finding old threads :tu

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

at what temperature should you start worrying about your cigars in your humi?

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Typically you need to be more concerned the closer you get to 70 degrees as the up temperatures tend to allow dormant tobacco beetle (Lasioderma serricorne, a.k.a. the tobacco or cigarette beetle) larvae to hatch.

Some have experience outbreaks at lower temperatures though and studies on the matter have varying opinions but to be safe, try to stay away from the 70 degrees and higher.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the tobacco beetle's entire growth cycle will occur at temperatures above 65 degrees and assumed that RH is above 40%. Not good.

Early detection systems can help you spot a possible out break and quarantine (called "beetle traps by Serrico)

I hope this helps

~Mark

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Interesting topic and a great question. Thanks for the info.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I have a basic newbie question about coolidors...

I recently ordered some 65% beads and 38+ sticks in various samplers that will far exceed my 20-ct desktop. I have a cooler that would work in a pinch, but want to know the best/cheapest way to set it up for somewhat long-term use.

Thanks for any help you crazies can provide!

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

If you already have a cooler that will be large enough and enough RH Beads, then you're all set.

If going for long term storage, then getting some cedar boxes or sealing them in "seal a meal" bags with a cedar sheet would also improve their aging a bit. (5+ years)

I hope this helps

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I guess my definition of "long term" is a little different. I was hoping to have a 200-ct sized humidor by summer.

Thanks for the quick response!

How cold is too cold?
 

I store my smokes in my garage. With the winter here, I'm running about 40 degrees at night and about 55 in the day. The cigars are being stored in a vinotemp. How cold is too cold, or is this something I need to worry about? Thanks for the help.

Re: How cold is too cold?
 

Many HK collectors store their cigars for "long term" aging in the mid 50's and having talked to those who have smoked some that were stored that way for over a decade, I may tend to agree with that, that's the way to go.

I think below that may be a issue though but that's just a guess.

I hope this helps

~Mark

Re: How cold is too cold?
 

Temperature of 40* should not be an issue.....Humidity is much more important, is it remaining stable with the temperature flucuations?

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I travel a LOT for my sons hockey. Spend many a weekend in New England. Can I leave the travel humi in the car on those cold cold nights or is it just safer to take them in to the hotel room?

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Yet again another great ideal Mark. Many question that I had already have been asked here in such a short time. Again a great service to us noobs.:salute:

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Depends on the neighborhood... :r :r





[serious]I would take them in as they might freeze and then would need the appropriate time to defrost before smoking. I don't even leave any in the car for a few hours during the winter. :ss [/serious]

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Personally I would try to minimize cigars going from one temperature extreme to another, so if it was me, I would take them inside.

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Thanks Kelly. That's what I have been doing all these years just cuz I didn't know for sure. Now I do. :D

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Can you imagine what it would be like lighting a cigar that had an internal temperature of 20F? I can only imagine it would be like trying to light the end of a popsicle. :r

Re: How cold is too cold?
 

The temp is at 67 for the last day or so. Everything was just moved into the vinotemp so I am assuming everything is still stabalizing.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I have a HygroSet round adjustable digital hygrometer that I've tried to Calibrate using the salt test. I've followed the instruction of using a bottle top filled with salt that is damped and not soaked. After leaving it for 6 hours to started and then over night the highest I could get it to read is around 38 and 39%. I have turned the dial both ways and still the highest is 38 or 39. Can anyone tell me how to set it or do I have to buy another one. The one that I have it the one picture here http://www.cigarmony.com/index.asp?P...PROD&ProdID=81

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Joe, Your salt may not be we enough. You want a slurry, wet but not a solution of dissolved salt. Salt test a minimum of 24 hours. If you think the hygrometer may be bad, wrap it in a moistened paper towel for a few hours and it should read near 100%.

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I recently pulled a 300 ct humidor out of retirement. During it's 9 month retirement it sat completely empty. Due to my immediate need for this additional space I was only able to season it a couple days. I have 8 oz of 65% humidity beads and the hygrometer has been calibrated. The humidor has approximately 200 cigars in it. I've noticed that I can't reach humidity levels above 58%. Last night I went as far as to wipe down the inside of the humidor with distilled water. This helped raise the humidity to 65% but this only lasted a couple days. I think this humidor is soaking up moisture like a sponge because it sat for such a long time empty. Any thoughts?

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I broke a 50 count humidor out of retirement a few months ago and it took about three or four rounds of seasoning before it held humidity. I didn't put cigars in until it held humidity for a few days. Good luck :tu

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I have found that the best way to properly season a humidor is to simply place a bowl of water in the humidor and leave the lid closed for 7-14 days.

This ensures that the wood has absorbed it capacity of water vapor and will hold humidity properly.

I do not recommend wiping down the wood directly with water as this may cause the wood to warp, possibly ruining the seal.

I hope this helps

~Mark

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I have a wooden humidor that keeps fairly good humidity but it only holds about 50. I was wondering if I could use a water tight plastic box like the ones you use on a boat to keep things dry. Anyone ever tried it?

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

A good zip lock bag will work fine. A air tight container isn't the best for storage.

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I already have 3 humi's
1. desktop 20 ct
2. desktop 50 ct.
3. Locker about 400 ct.

Just made another big order and I'm not going to have room. Considering a Cooler. How big of cooler do people normally use? I was looking at Rubbermaid 150 qt. marine cooler from Sam's club. I'm clueless as to how big 150qt. actually is. I know it's about 38 gallons which seems more then big enough. Should I get bigger? Smaller?

Also would a cigar oasis/hydra be warranted/recommended for something of this size? or should I just go with 65% beads? or both? I currently use the 65% beads in my humi's and I like them.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Bigger the better. When I first got into this hobby I was told buy more storage than you think you will ever need. That was terrific advice.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

150qt cooler dimensions (L x W x H): 42.75 x 19.5 x 19.0

I actually prefer 48 qt coolers without wheels(unless you need a herf-a-dor)
You can get 4 for about the price of a 150qt. They are easier to store and you can separate your stock. Digging through a 150qt cooler for a single box can be a pain. You will need about 8ozs of beads for each cooler. Also you can set up different rh coolers if that is your preference. :2

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

:tpd: In fact I think I might be picking up a 48qt...if I dont get a vinotemp!

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Biggest you have the space to fit it in is my motto. You don't end up buying your next one because the first one was to big. :D I bought one of those really big fishing coolers and you can get 1670 cigars in one. Maybe 1690. :)

It wont fit / stack in the closet though so I only have room for 1 under my desk. Have the big blue Colemans stacked in the closet.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Ok, I know I'm a fungy but what are beads? I'm assuming something for humidity? Thanks. I didn't think about the cooler idea.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...ighlight=beads


Great reading here.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I didn't really consider storage of the cooler. A 48 qt might be the way to go as far as not taking up too much space in my house. But in the end it might just be worth it to get the biggest one so I don't have to worry about it for a while.

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Thanks Tabb

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

While the 150 qt coolers are really nice I've found that the 120 qt for more than half of the price work really well and hold almost the same amount. So for the same $$ you can get two 120 qts and have 80% more space. :2

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Here's two for the gurus...

Is the basement a good place to keep the humidor? Temperature stays low but is mold now a concern?

If I had a coolador but no basement and the apartment temperatures reach into 75°F during the day, how can I keep the inside of the coolador below 70°F?

Thanks.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

My coolers live in the basement but my basement is not any more humid (most likely less humid) than the rest of the house so I'm not any more concerned about mold. I'm less worried about beetles when they are in the basement due to the lower temp.

I've heard of guys putting ice packs in ziplocks and toss them in the coolers.

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My cabinet is in the basement. Most of the basement is finished (except the room the cabinet is in) but the ventillation system is running in the room. During the winter it is dry just like the rest of the house. In the summer the humidity does get above 65% so I run a dehumidifier.

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I love the basement for storage. Now, if your basement smells like musty feet...maybe not. :)

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Have you been in my basement, Shawn? :r

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Update bought a cooler 70qt cooler from Costco today for $39.99 and got about 10 cigar boxes from the B&M too. Well on my way. Thanks for the help guys! :tu :dance:

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Here's two very basic questions I'm surprised hasn't been asked in this thread:

-Cutters. Does using a basic guillotine cutter vs. a more expensive scissor-type cutter make any noticeable difference?

-Lighters. Is there anything horrible about regular Bic lighters that would warrant a $50+ jet flame lighter?

Thanks!

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

I've never noticed a huge difference between cutter types when used properly. I do have a preference sometimes depending on size and/or shape of the cigar. This is just personal preference. Someone may have more in depth knowledge in regards to specific cutters.

There is a difference when using a Bic vs a butane lighter. The Bic-style can impart flavors to the tobacco. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, you can get a Ronson Jetlight for about $3 at Walmart. They are a decent lighter and the price is right.

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

+1 on the Ronsons

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Good call, Greg...no need to spend $50 if you don't want to, but definitely keep the Bic away from the cigars. :)

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A lot of what cutter & lighter to use does boil down to personal preference. A couple of things to compare when trying to decide might help though.

Cutters:
The "action" is a huge personal choice. Double guillotine, single guillotine, punch, scissors, hybrid scissors (ie Xikar, SAK, Revoluccion scissors, etc...)

You mention the cheap plastic cutters. I would not recommend the single bladed guillotine cutters as they tend to crush the cigar rather than cut it. Some of the "cheap" double guillotine cutters work well for a short period of time but due to the cheap blade, they dull & break quickly.

I use a variety of cutters depending on the cigar and just to keep it interesting (i use a punch for smaller ring gauges and scissors & double guillotines for larger ring gauges but also use my finger nail "cuban style" in a pinch)

These are the typical top choices for a quality cutter are:
Palio (double guillotine w/ life time warranty)
Xikar (hybrid scissors w/ life time warranty)
Cuban Crafters scissors (standard scissors w/ life time warranty)
Wenger SAk w/ cigar cutter (hybrid scissors, 5 year warranty?)
Xikar Punch (punch cutter w/ life time warranty)

Lighters are all over the place and style of the body and flame type (torch, soft flame butane, matches, wind proof, etc...) play the biggest part in choosing.

Be careful in whatever flame you choose that it doesn't contain sulfur that will impart a horrible flavor in your cigar (typical w/ cheap lighters and most matches - get sulfur free matches).

For fun, try a cedar splint. It's about the most "pure" way to light a cigar, plus it's not typical which makes it fun.

These are the typical top choices for a quality cutter are:
Blazer PB-207 (large tank and very reliable)
Xikar (various flame choices all w/ life time warranty)
Solo Trek (dual flame w/ life time warranty even 50% of MSRP against theft or loss)
ST Dupont X-tend
Evertech (soft flame and torch butane flames in one)
Bugatti 1 (this is about the nicest lighter that I've ever used)
Porsche Designs
Nibo dual flames (cheap throw aways but tend to last a long time and you don't care if you lose them)
Sulfur free matches

Just some of what I've experienced over the past 16+ years of smoking cigars. Part of the "fun" of the hobby to me is learning this stuff along the way so try all the styles out to see what you like the most.

I hope this helps

~Mark

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

how cold is too cold for cigars? i just picked up a dual zone haier cooler and the top goes as high as 54 degrees and the lower half runs as high as 65 degrees. Is the 54 degrees too cold for the sticks?

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Been smoking for years, but never had a humidor. I am getting one next week, used, read about seasoning, humi beads and the like.

My question is about the humidor, it is 8 x 9 x 16, it has shelves in it, can I stack different types of cigars on top of each other, or should the same cigars stay on top of each other? If I have to seperate them what could one use to keep them apart?

thanks

rich

Re: Beginner Questions (Ask Them Here!)
 

Congrats on pulling the trigger on your first humi!! You can stack different types of cigars together. I've done so for years in my desktops and have never noticed any difference in how the cigars taste..